Adversity brings strength, enlightenment, happiness

I watched a very moving and inspiring movie from spiritual cinema circle; “Tara Road” starring andie mcdowel. It moved me in many ways, and it was a wonderful example of how adversity always brings growth, strength and enlightenment.

I, like most people, have experienced deep pain and loss. I had a daughter die 14 years ago. I thought I would not live through it. She represented all my hopes and dreams at the time and I did not care if I lived for a long time.

I just completed a horrendous 3 year divorce, where people I love, and I thought loved me, behaved in such cruel, deceitful, intentionally hurtful ways, I could not eat for months and I watched my world crash around me.

I have had businesses I built up to great success on years of hard work, long hours and tons of sacrifice, collapse for a variety of reasons.

We all know pain, loss, grief, disappointment and we all would most likely never intentionally choose it. However, for some reason, that perceived pain and struggle brings us new understanding, new inner strength, new opportunities. The contrast of pain, gives us a stronger desire for joy. It challenges us to reach for something new: new thoughts, beliefs, people, places, experiences, understandings, power.

Every time I see someone have what they perceive as a “bad” thing happen in their lives, I know in my soul they are on a journey to a whole new view of life. A new way of living, a new level of self love and understanding. We have to grow in these situations, we force ourselves into it through these experiences.

I still would not say “yes, I want someone I love to die”…but I know and I mean I KNOW, it gave me strength, joy and understanding of myself and the world at a deeper level than I would have ever gone to if it had not happened. I am who I am today because I choose to find my way through these things. I looked for the “diamond” in the pile of……

eckart tolle and oprah are discussing this on their web event ” a new earth; awakening to your life’s purpose”. I am enjoying the discussion. Tolle said that he experienced so much pain and suffering his whole life, that he planned to kill himself starting at age 9. He says, however, there’s not a chance in the world that he would be who and where he is now if he had not had those experiences.

Jack Canfield says his childhood was terrible, but in the end, we all have pain, and now it’s “so what…what are YOU going to do with YOUR life now?”. Oprah’s childhood was not pleasant, and look what she has accomplished, and what she is doing with the fame and wealth she has built, she is spreading a message of love, enlightenment and self empowerment!!

Through these experiences we are offered a chance to take control of who we are, what we do and how we feel. We are given a doorway to a world richer than we ever imagined, a world we choose and create. Choose yours now, and yes, you can choose to learn through joy, but be aware…it takes more focus, because for some odd reason supposedly people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure! How about you?

I couldn’t agree more. You brought up a great point, I guess it is human nature to put all our energies toward avoidance of pain. What a waste of energy! We could enjoy success and an abundant life in knowing that it is up to us to “choose” to do so.

Audie,
It is amazing what we “waste” our energy on. We model those around us, and so we often have no idea there is another way. If I had known when I was 10 that I could choose my life, my feelings and therefore my experience…wow, what a ride!
I love teaching my kids they can choose their life, they don’t always get it, because of what they see in society. But at least they know it now and can begin to enjoy success and abundance as you say a lot earlier than I.
Thanks for sharing!
Nan